Beverage cup holder for nautical use

ABSTRACT

The beverage cup holder for nautical use comprises a ring-shaped carrier for a tapered beverage cup, having universal movement laterally from a vertical line, whereby to minimize likelihood of spillage of the liquid contents of the cup in the presence of rocking or pitching movements such as may be experienced in watercraft. The carrier for the cup assures a constant leveling of liquid within the cup, and furnishes no interference with the normal use of the cup in drinking therefrom.

United States Patent 120,259 10 1 71 Gee Inventor Mitchell A. Hall FortThomas, Ky. Appl. No. 775,005 Filed Nov. 12, 1968 Patented Jan. 19, 1971Assignee Monarch Tool and Manufacturing Company Covington, Ky. acorporation of Ohio BEVERAGE CUP HOLDER FOR NAUTICAL USE 3 Claims, 4Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 248/311,

248/318 Int. Cl A471 1/08 Field of Search 248/ 300,

ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,334 2/1917 Nelson 2 18/ 1377 2,075,080 3/1937 Baker 248/226.5 2,565,315 8/1951 Lieberman 248/3183,045,962 7/1962 Paulus 211/81 3,341,163 9/1967 Honig 248/311 FOREIGNPATENTS 521,890 8/1953 Belgium 248/318 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons,Jr. Attorney-J. Warren l(i nney, Jr.

ABSTRACT: The beverage cup holder for nautical use comprises aring-shaped carrier for a tapered beverage cup, having universalmovement laterally from a vertical line, whereby to minimize likelihoodof spillage of the liquid contents of the cup in the presence of rockingor pitching movements such as may be experienced in watercraft. Thecarrier for the cup assures a constant leveling of liquid within thecup, and furnishes no interference with the normal use of the cup indrinking therefrom.

Pmamwumwn 315561,453

INVENTOR.

\MITCHE LL A. H ALL z fffiiw BEVERAGE CUP HOLDER FOR NAUTICAL USE Thisinvention relates to a beverage cup holder for nautical use, andinvolves means for preventing spilling of liquid from a cup due torocking or pitching movements of a boat. The cup holder is adapted to besuspended from different kinds of supporting structures usually found onboats or furnishings therefor, whereby a beverage cup embraced by theholder remains always in an upright position with its contents level,regardless of rocking movements of the boat in any direction.

An object of the invention therefore, is to provide means of a simple,inexpensive, though effective nature, for supporting a beverage cup or'the like in upright position with its fluid content level, to avoidspillage under conditions such as the rocking movements of a boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the characterstated, in the form of a cup holder constructed of inexpensive wire andstrip material, which does not interfere with nonnal use of the cup indrinking therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage cup holderfor nautical use, which permits a full universal compensatory movementof thecup to avoid spillage of its fluid content, under all conditionsof boat rocking and pitching in every direction.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a cup holderhaving the hereinabove described characteristics which willautomatically rigify and reinforce inexpensive, disposable beverage cupsfabricated from paper and/or various plastic materials.

Another object is to provide bracket means for support of the cupholder, which bracket means can readily be attached either temporarilyor permanently to various structural elements of a boat, or to the boatfurnishings or accessories.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means describedherein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawing, in which: a

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the cup holder, shown embracing abeverage cup, and associated with a support bracket formed of wire.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a beverage cup holder embodying thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the wire support bracket shown in FIG. 2. 4I

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of a flat strip type of support bracket.

The cup holder comprises a carrier 6 which may be in the fonn of asubstantially circular band or ring of proper size to accommodate andembrace a beverage cup 8 or the like, at a location close to the opentop of the cup. At opposite ends of a diameter of the band or ring,there is pivoted a bail or hanger means 10 that may be swung freelybetween the upright position shown in full lines upon FIG. 1, to adisplaced position at either side of the cup, for example as indicatedby broken lines upon FIG. 1. The bail or hanger means when so displacedpermits unobstructed use of the cup in drinking therefrom.

The carrier, band or ring 6 may be formed of any suitable material, suchas stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant metal in strip form bentto a substantially circular ring shape. It is possible, of course, toform the ring of other materials such as plastics, wood, reeds or thelike. The ring may be perforated at opposite ends of a diameter, topivotally receive the inwardly turned free ends 12 of bail 10. The ring6, instead of being tapped and welded, or riveted, as at 14, may beformed as a oorlinuous or endless band without a joint, if desired, orthe carrier may be part ring approximating in shape the contour of ahorseshoe, for example. In any case, the carrier 6 embraces and supportscup 8 near its upper end, with the cup upright.

The bail 10 may be formed of wire by preference, and may comprise a pairof arcuate arms 16,18 each terminating in a free end 12 pivotallysupporting the carrier 6. As before mentioned, the free endsl2 may beintumed for loose reception in holes provided in carrier 6 at oppositeends of a diameter of the latter. Arms 16 and 18 are to be so shaped andproportioned as to permit swinging of the bail between the full line andbroken line positions of FIG. 2, when cup 8 is in place upon thecarrier. 1

At a point midway between the free ends of the bail, there is formed anupwardly extended loop or socket 20, whereby the bail may be suspendedfrom a bracket or support such as 22 or 24. The loop or socket 20preferably though not necessarily, is open in the downward direction asshown, for easy application to and displacement from, a bracket such as22 or 24.

The bracket or support member 22 (FIG. 4) may be simply a thin strip ofmetal, plastic, or other suitable material, having a hook 26 formed atone end to receive and retain the loop 20 of bail l0.'The opposite end28 of the member, if desired, may be perforated as at 30, to receivemounting screws or equivalent fasteners whereby the bracket or supportmember may be fixed in substantially horizontal position upon anystructural part of a boat or its furnishings. I

An alternative bracket or support member 24, formed preferably of stiffwire, has at one end a pendent hook 32 into which the bail loop 20 maybe easily introduced for suspending the carrier with its cup 8. Themouth 34 of the hook may be limited in width, if desired, to minimizeinadvertent disassociation of the bail loop from hook 32, and yetfacilitate its deliberate disconnection. It is noteworthy that hook 32includes a straight upright elongate portion 36 depending from I thebody of support member 24, to serve as a track for guiding the loop 20of the bail into the mouth 34 incident to hanging of the cup assemblyupon bracket 24. The track portion 36 extends above and below the levelof mouth 34, as shown.

Theend of member 24 opposite the hook 32, may be turned uponitself toform a bend 36 and a stabilizing arm 38, said arm being spaced from thebody of member .24 to rest in a plane with the body member, which planeis substantially at right angles to the plane of hook 32. Said planewhich includes the "arm 38 and the body of member 24, may include also aturned end 40 of arm 38, which end projects toward body member 24. Theresultant structure constitutes a planar end of the body member whichmight be introduced into any horizontal space of crack, such as thatusually existing between the top of a door and its frame header, orbetween a drawer and a horizontal rail on which the drawer slides inclosing, said space serving to receive, and act as a mount for thebracket or support member. In or upon a boat or its furnishings, thereare many convenient locations at which a support member such as 22 or 24may be mounted, for suspending the cup holder in a mannersuch as toavoid spilling of the cup contents when the boat rocks or pitches.

If desired, the wire end 40 may be wrapped upon or other wise connectedto the body of member 24, intermediate the hook 32 and bend 36.

As FIG. 1 clearly indicates, the carrier 6 with its bail 10 may quicklyand easily be hooked onto bracket 24, at 20, 32, or removed therefromwith little effort. The loop at 20 is of ample width, to permit swingingof the carrier and its cup in ali lateral directions from the vertical,while suspended from the hook portion of bracket 24. The bail pivots atl2, 12 not only permit automatic leveling of the cup 8 during rocking ofboat, but enable the bail to be readily displaced to one side'oii' thecup when the cup is used in drinking therefrom.

The cup 8 preferably is tapered as shown, and may be a commercialarticle formed usually of .paper or an insulating: material such asstyrofoam or the like.

Iclaim:

l. A beverage cup holder and support for suspending saiv; beverage cupfor free universal movement to prevent spillage of the contents of saidcup, comprising: v

a. a carrier for embracing and supporting a beverage cup at a locationnear the open top of the cup, the cup being suspended in the carrier;

b. a support member adapted to be mounted upon a struc tural unit of aboat or its furnishings, said support member comprising a stiff wireelongate body portion, one end or said elongate body portion bent atsubstantially ariglm angle to said elongate body portion to define arelatively shortstraigh t guide portion, a hook on the free end of saidrelatively short straight portion, the other end of said elongate bodyportion reversely bent to define a stabilizing arm spaced from theelongate body portion but lying in a plane with said elongate bodyportion substantially perpendicular to the plane of said hook, saidelongate bodyportion and said stabilizing arm defining a planarsupporttobe introduced into a horizontal space or crack to support thehook in a substantially vertical position;

and

c. a hanger means swingably connected to said carrier and includingmeans thereon for cooperative association with said hook to support saidcup.

' 2. A beverage cup holder and support as in claim 1, whereinsaidcarrier comprises a ring-shaped band for engaging and holding'a cupnear the open top of the cup, said carrier band axially tapered from oneedge to the other edge to define a generally frustoconical configurationso that substantially the entire width of the band engages jlEhQ surfaceof a tapered cup placed in the carrier. v

3. A beverage cup holder and support as in claim 1, wherein said'hangermeans comprises a wire bail having opposite ends and an intermediateportion, th ejop posite, ends of said bail pivoted on diametricallyopposite portions of said carrier band for movement of the hail from anupright position above the carrier band to a downwardly inclinedposition at either side of the carrier, the height of the intermediateportion of the bail being gauged to pass the upper edge of a cupembraced by said carrier band when the bail is moved from the uprightposition to the downwardly inclined position aforesaid, and a loop inthe apex of the intermediate portion of the bail for cooperativeengagement with the hook on said support member.

1. A beverage cup holder and support for suspending said beverage cupfor free universal movement to prevent spillage of the contents of saidcup, comprising: a. a carrier for embracing and supporting a beveragecup at a location near the open top of the cup, the cup being suspendedin the carrier; b. a support member adapted to be mounted upon astructural unit of a boat or its furnishings, said support membercomprising a stiff wire elongate body portion, one end of said elongatebody portion bent at substantially a right angle to said elongate bodyportion to define a relatively short straight guide portion, a hook onthe free end of said relatively short straight portion, the other end ofsaid elongate body portion reversely bent to define a stabilizing armspaced from the elongate body portion but lying in a plane with saidelongate body portion substantially perpendicular to the plane of saidhook, said elongate body portion and said stabilizing arm defining aplanar support to be introduced into a horizontal space or crack tosupport the hook in a substantially vertical position; and c. a hangermeans swingably connected to said carrier and including means thereonfor cooperative association with said hook to support said cup.
 2. Abeverage cup holder and support as in claim 1, wherein said carriercomprises a ring-shaped band for engaging and holding a cup near theopen top of the cup, said carrier band axially tapered from one edge tothe other edge to define a generally frustoconical configuration so thatsubstantially the entire width of the band engages the surface of atapered cup placed in the carrier.
 3. A beverage cup holder and supportas in claim 1, wherein said hanger means comprises a wire bail havingopposite ends and an intermediate portion, the opposite ends of saidbail pivoted on diametrically opposite portions of said carrier band formovement of the bail from an upright position above the carrier band toa downwardly inclined position at either side of the carrier, the heightof the intermediate portion of the bail being gauged to pass the upperedge of a cup embraced by said carrier band when the bail is moved fromthe upright position to the downwardly inclined position aforesaid, anda loop in the apex of the intermediate portion of the bail forcooperative engagement with the hook on said support member.